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By Debbie Schlussel
Just before Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” was released in theaters in 2004, my friend and Philadelphia’s top morning radio host, Michael Smerconish, wrote an excellent column about Mel Gibson and his father’s anti-Semitic rantings.
At the end of his column, Smerconish–a Catholic, not a Jew–asked, “Like Father, Like Son?” Well, now Michael Smerconish has the answer to his question. And so do the rest of us. Yes, LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON.

(Cartoon by Joel Pett, Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader/from USA Today)

By now, you’ve probably read the reports that, Friday, Mel Gibson was arrested for drunk driving and launched into an anti-Semitic tirade (not to mention his classy reference to a female cop as “sugar-t-ts”).
Among Gibson’s attacks on the Jews was this: “F-cking Jews. . . . The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world.” This from the man who started one of the greatest cultural wars between American Jews and Christians in modern times and willingly marketed that war to fill his deep pockets with ticket sales. Thankfully that war was quenched and put out–but not before, his “Passion” was a top box office seller in anti-Semitic Muslim and Arab nations. And not because they care a lick about Christianity. They simply hate the Jews, just like Mel Gibson. They become martyrs, he makes “movies” and engages drunken tirades.
Now, comes Mel Gibson’s “apology,” now that he is sober and his inhibitions are once again in place. (We heard what he really thinks about Jews, when the alcohol made his thoughts flow free, without any publicist handlers nearby to cleanse them.)

While Gibson specifically apologizes to the cops who arrested him–including presumably “sugar-t-ts” (though he doesn’t mention her by “name”)–he does not apologize to the Jewish people he defamed and attacked at a time when anti-Semitism is at its highest post-World War II levels. It’s not an accidental omission. It’s a glaring and deliberate one. Mel Gibson owes me and every other Jew in the world a specific apology. Don’t hold your breath to hear one, though.
For his “Passion” days a few years ago, Gibson employed publicist/spokesman Alan Nierob–constantly trotting out Nierob’s status as a Jew and the son of Holocaust survivors. Now, he’s trotting out Nierob, again, as his own personal, high-paid apologist. (“Some of my best publicists . . . er, friends . . . are Jewish.”) On Detroit’s Eight Mile Road, they have another world for it, and the women get paid less per hour or “act.”
Is anyone buying Gibson’s “apology”? If you are, I have some land in ancient Israel to sell you. “Sugar-t-ts” not included.

34 Responses

First timer, here. As much as I love Passion of the Christ and still believe it’s a very fair interpretation of The Passion, his comments are fully unacceptable and DO shine a light on disturbing beliefs. I’m a Catholic and have to agree with you about this shamefull event.

He owes me an apology… for keeping “Jewish Defense Organizations”(like the ADL) out of mothballs;beyond that,I just wanna kick his ass.I also think Hollywood owes the apology for promoting him-and also “owes the Jews” a film
based on Hyam Maccoby’s ‘Revolution in Judaea’-a ‘Jesus’ story referenced in ‘Jewish Literacy’ by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin.

I’m confused. I thought Gibson was a conservative? I supported him, and thought the whining about an anti-semitic theme in “The Passion” came from Hollywood lefties grasping anything they could to trash him. His inebriated rant shows he’s just another piece of dung.

A few remarks here–
1. Thank God, Gibson is not a Catholic–but another stupid heretic, who founded his own church.
2. The Passion was not Anti-Semitic. In fact, the Gospel line “Let His Blood be on us..” was excluded from the sub-titles. As it is, even this line is correctly interpreted as foreshadowing the Eucharist, and is not anti-Semitic in any rational sense–although I will admit that it has been taken that way.
3. Gibson is not really “conservative,” either. The only issue that he has publicly addressed that can be called thus is his opposition to the gay rights movement.
4. He is just another Hollywood brat.

Gibson is just Pat Buchanan with a Hollywood resume, the Ukranian line is also another jab at Jews and an attempt to blame Jews for the murders of Ukranians by the USSR
conservatives who backed him found out that Gibson is anti-war and in reality anti-american, much as the far-right, e.g. David Duke and Buchanan have become. Much like the westboro baptist church, the US to them is a filthy sinfull nation.

Some of my closest friends in this country and others are Christians. I refuse to let this idiot’s remarks tarnish my view of all of them. His lack of understanding speaks for itself. It’s these kind of remarks, and others like them, that make Christianity appear as nothing more than a cult. THANKS FOR THAT MEL!
I must disagree with our host on one thing though: I don’t want an apology from him. I would rather know his true beliefs for what they are. He can retain his phoney apologies for others as far as I’m concerned. I can only hope that his beliefs are based on ignorance of Judaism (and Christianity). If that is the case, then there is hope for him. If not, then he can go ahead and join in with the jihadis and insert himself into the long line of those who hate us.
In the mean time, lay off the booze Mel.

If he was really in a moment of human weakness, he owes Jews who whom he attacked and defamed an apology. I suspect though, we got to see the real man when he hit the bottle and it isn’t a pretty picture. So why be hard on him?
If this was an ordinary guy, his anti-semitic ranting might be viewed as the intoxicated confusion of a mere mortal who ought to know better and so one might be inclined to give that person a pass. They don’t know better.
Here though – we have Mel Gibson, actor, filmmaker and celebrity. For me it brings to mind the Talmudic aphorism about a person of prominence – “of whom much is given, much is expected.” This means when one is a leader in one’s community, the highest standards of behavior are always expected because people look up to that person and that person sets an example for others.
That is the function celebrities fulfill in our society and Gibson let every one down, not just himself. His fall from grace was as swift as the meteoric heights he achieved in his career. The lesson is when you think no one is watching you is exactly the moment when every one sees who you really are.
I don’t expect Gibson to apologize to Jews. Not that we need it. He can take the rest of his life to figure out why things will never quite be the same for him. I do believe in repentance but it will take more than apology for Gibson to turn his life around. What he does with it from here on is his choice and only time will tell if he truly learned something from this very ugly incident.

Well it’s official for me…
I have a framed Braveheart poster in my media room that I still have not hung up. Now I will be removing the damm poster from the frame and replacing it with something else.
“F” Gibson. I’m sure he will be speaking to the mullahs of Iran soon enough to talk about their common goals.

I am done with Mel Gibson. I’ve given him the benefit of the doubt concerning his “Pushin’ of the Christ” movie.
I will no longer see his films, past, present or future. I will no longer support anything affiliated with that man.

It’s a shame. One can be upset with all types of others about all sorts of things, but to single out a certain group for the ills of the world is lost on me.
It is still a bit one-sided however. Remember when Paul Fray a former campaign manager for then Ark. Gov Bill Clinton was called a: “…F*^$*%g Jew Ba$tard!” by his wife Hillary? It came and went in the media, even with Mr. Fray’s interview confirming the incident.
If only Mel had scripted that ‘Christ’ guy a little more to the left…we’d be hearing the ‘ol refrain: “nuthin’ to see here folks…move along”. And Mel, well he’d be back to work the next morning with the entire episode forgotten.

IN VINO, veritas, Mr. Gibson?
A little wineÖa lot of truth?!
Too bad Mel parrots his Dad so well, and canít think for himself.
Too bad Mel didnít learn from his DUI charge, in Toronto, so long ago.
And as for you Mel, someone out of communion with Rome, who APPARENTLY has established two SECTARIAN parishes independent from the Apostolic See on the ìauthority of Gibsonî, and not PeterÖWHO do you think you are exactly?
MEL stands in judgment AGAINST the Roman Catholic Church and its LITURICAL ORTHODOXY yet he commits one MORTAL SIN after another, cumulating in his recent ANTI-SEMITIC tirade openly displayed at his local police station.
So Mel you have stood in judgment against the Apostolic See, and HAVE NOW additionally blamed all wars THROUGHOUT TIME on the Jews?
Get some help Mel.
Reflect and repent.
BECOME a CATHOLIC and offer a worthy, sincere, and specific apology to the House of David.
In the meantime LISTEN AND LEARNÖby reviewing this excerpt from the Papal Declaration ìNOSTRA AETATEî and pray to God to embrace the spiritual disposition of a REAL CHRISTIAN:
ì4. As the sacred synod searches into the mystery of the Church, it remembers the bond that spiritually ties the people of the New Covenant to Abraham’s stock.
Thus the Church of Christ acknowledges that, according to God’s saving design, the beginnings of her faith and her election are found already among the Patriarchs, Moses and the prophets. She professes that all who believe in Christ-Abraham’s sons according to faith (6) are included in the same Patriarch’s call, and likewise that the salvation of the Church is mysteriously foreshadowed by the chosen people’s exodus from the land of bondage. The Church, therefore, cannot forget that she received the revelation of the Old Testament through the people with whom God in His inexpressible mercy concluded the Ancient Covenant. Nor can she forget that she draws sustenance from the root of that well-cultivated olive tree onto which have been grafted the wild shoots, the Gentiles. (7) Indeed, the Church believes that by His cross Christ, Our Peace, reconciled Jews and Gentiles making both one in Himself. (8)
The Church keeps ever in mind the words of the Apostle about his kinsmen: “theirs is the sonship and the glory and the covenants and the law and the worship and the promises; theirs are the fathers and from them is the Christ according to the flesh” (Rom. 9:4-5), the Son of the Virgin Mary. She also recalls that the Apostles, the Church’s main-stay and pillars, as well as most of the early disciples who proclaimed Christ’s Gospel to the world, sprang from the Jewish people.
As Holy Scripture testifies, Jerusalem did not recognize the time of her visitation, (9) nor did the Jews in large number, accept the Gospel; indeed not a few opposed its spreading. (10) Nevertheless, God holds the Jews most dear for the sake of their Fathers; He does not repent of the gifts He makes or of the calls He issues-such is the witness of the Apostle. (11) In company with the Prophets and the same Apostle, the Church awaits that day, known to God alone, on which all peoples will address the Lord in a single voice and “serve him shoulder to shoulder” (Soph. 3:9). (12)
Since the spiritual patrimony common to Christians and Jews is thus so great, this sacred synod wants to foster and recommend that mutual understanding and respect which is the fruit, above all, of biblical and theological studies as well as of fraternal dialogues.
True, the Jewish authorities and those who followed their lead pressed for the death of Christ; (13) still, what happened in His passion cannot be charged against all the Jews, without distinction, then alive, nor against the Jews of today. Although the Church is the new people of God, the Jews should not be presented as rejected or accursed by God, as if this followed from the Holy Scriptures. All should see to it, then, that in catechetical work or in the preaching of the word of God they do not teach anything that does not conform to the truth of the Gospel and the spirit of Christ.
ñ Furthermore, in her rejection of every persecution against any man, the Church, mindful of the patrimony she shares with the Jews and moved not by political reasons but by the Gospel’s spiritual love, decries hatred, persecutions, and displays of anti-Semitism, directed against Jews at any time and by anyone. ñ
Besides, as the Church has always held and holds now, Christ underwent His passion and death freely, because of the sins of men and out of infinite love, in order that all may reach salvation. It is, therefore, the burden of the Church’s preaching to proclaim the cross of Christ as the sign of God’s all-embracing love and as the fountain from which every grace flows.
5. We cannot truly call on God, the Father of all, if we refuse to treat in a brotherly way any man, created as he is in the image of God. Man’s relation to God the Father and his relation to men his brothers are so linked together that Scripture says: “He who does not love does not know God” (1 John 4:8).
No foundation therefore remains for any theory or practice that leads to discrimination between man and man or people and people, so far as their human dignity and the rights flowing from it are concerned.
The Church reproves, as foreign to the mind of Christ, any discrimination against men or harassment of them because of their race, color, condition of life, or religion. On the contrary, following in the footsteps of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, this sacred synod ardently implores the Christian faithful to “maintain good fellowship among the nations” (1 Peter 2:12), and, if possible, to live for their part in peace with all men, (14) so that they may truly be sons of the Father who is in heaven. (15)î
NOTES
5. Cf St. Gregory VII, letter XXI to Anzir (Nacir), King of Mauritania (Pl. 148, col. 450f.)
6. Cf. Gal. 3:7
7. Cf. Rom. 11:17-24
8. Cf. Eph. 2:14-16
9. Cf. Lk. 19:44
10. Cf. Rom. 11:28
11. Cf. Rom. 11:28-29; cf. dogmatic Constitution, Lumen Gentium (Light of nations) AAS, 57 (1965) pag. 20
12. Cf. Is. 66:23; Ps. 65:4; Rom. 11:11-32
13. Cf. John. 19:6
14. Cf. Rom. 12:18
15. Cf. Matt. 5:45

ShleppyÖitís your DEMOCRATIC RIGHT to be wrong about an issue or a religion.
Isnít it great to live in North America!
However, we are only sane in so far as we see the truth.
A man may believe that he can walk off a cliff and survive, but you and I know different.
Believing Jesus is a myth maybe wonít affect your family life, or your IRA accounts but it does mean you donít see ENTIRELY accurately.
Thereís always some sort of consequence to that.
CHRISTIANITY or more properly CATHOLICISM is Godís version of ìGo bigÖor go home!î
God wants to evangelize and convert the whole worldÖnot just some small corner~
The purpose of the NEW COVENANT was to be the revelation of Godís enormous generosity and His official declaration to reach out past the borders of righteous IsraelÖto those who were far away and lostÖthe Gentiles, the marginalized within Israel etc. and thus to reconcile all to God at the appointed time.
His Greatness and Sovereignty demands thatÖI would think.
Anyways, I need to worry about my own soul, I need to focus on myself and where I stand before Him, and what I still need to do here and now, todayÖ
Shalom friend, you are in our prayers!

I was always uncomfortable over the fact that Mel would never categorically deny that he or his movie was antisemitic. He’d sputter and guffaw and act offended at the question, but he never offered a kind word to the Jews nor any explanation for the way he presented Jews in The Passion movie. I suspected he was deeply antisemitic at heart, and now that has been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt.
I don’t want an apology either. I’m just content to know the truth about him at long last. I’m sorry that this disappoints a lot of good Christians with pure intentions who appreciated his movie and who tried not to interpret some of the antisemitic aspects of it as such. But, the man has shown his true self. As the Italian saying goes, “In wine, there is truth.”
THAT’S RIGHT. “IN VINO VERITAS.”
DEBBIE SCHLUSSEL

I guess I see things differently. If we were to throw everyone in jail who said something racist while in an alcohol stupor most of us would be in jail.
Why would making a movie about Jews killing a Jew (Jesus) make a person anti-semitic? Or since he was killed by Romans would make him anti-Roman? Making a movie about Hitler would make the director anti Semetic for just telling the story of people killing the Jews?
So if I made a historical movie about slavery it would make me racist? I guess Mel Gibson hates women too since he did “What Women Want.”

bpentium: You do realize that Mel wasn’t thrown in jail for the words he said, but rather for the fact that he was driving while drunk, don’t you?
He still has the freedom of speech, however, spouting out his true feelings are backfiring on him. No one will want to work with this guy again. He’s finished.

Manatoch: yes of course I know he was drunk. I’ll reword it for you. If we were to judge people for what they say while they are drunk then we are in big trouble. Sorry for the confusion. He also called someone Sugar Tits. Does that mean he hates women? Hates cops? When people get drunk they say and DO stupid things. That’s what alcohol does. Calling him antisemtic for this is just as silly as if he killed a jewish person while he was DUI.
Have we really gotten THIS sensitive? Try watching the TV program COPS and you’ll see the stupid things drunk people say.

Ok I see what you mean now, but these were some pretty specific comments about Jews. The sugartits thing I could see as something a drunk guy might say because of the alcohol since it’s a general comment, but I really don’t know if I would blame the alcohol on his other words.

Guy puts out a religious movie about a poor Jewish carpenter being crucified on the cross. He claims this represents his belief and his god. His god is a Jew who celebrated the Passover in the Upper Room and now his god is a fucking Jew? Idiot! You make fun of the Jewish carpenter you worship as god. Oh yeah asshole, and I know you read this, did you know that Hollywood studios is ran by people of the Jewish faith? And Disney, the studio you’re supposed to do the series on the Holocaust about? Well? I think that’s out.

Ok I see what you mean now, but these were some pretty specific comments about Jews. The sugartits thing I could see as something a drunk guy might say because of the alcohol since it’s a general comment, but I really don’t know if I would blame the alcohol on his other words.
Posted by: Manatoch [TypeKey Profile Page] at August 1, 2006 01:33 PM
Manatoch, I do and I’m an agnostic leaning toward athiesm. But drinking booze, it’s more of a truth serum. Hey, I was drunk off shine while speaking about Jews in Israel and I beat the shit out of a guy who was blasting Israel. Mel’s case? He hates Jews, and that I could say without impunity.

KOAJaps: My view of Atheism: The definition of Atheism is the “belief that there are no gods or God.” In order to know there isn’t a God or god’s you’d have to be all knowing, which you nor I nor anyone else on this planet possess this ability.

I got to tell you guy’s Mell will show blood test to be on more than just booze.The place he was at drinking is south of us at (zuma)It’s so busy and people get hit by cars.Police are there all the time .That actor Ellen B??got hit there. Mel was comming up Hwy #1 from hollywood or off of Topanga from the valley ,stops at moonshadoows,but he messed up not staying at the speed limit after.It’s lucky we have cops out.Can you see if Mel hit some people comming from a nice sit at the beach?Ignoant Punk’s like Mel don’t really hangout in the north Malibu-Trancas(Zuma)area. To Party They learn fast to stay south .I think he has ‘WhoreOprah’ kind of money.

Do you people really read and understand some of the comments you post here. I in no way defend or condone Mel’s actions but the hate and vile you are spewing is not really much different than the actions you are comdemning. Especially to see a Rabbi wanting to kick his ass (man of God)? He apologized. Either accept it or don’t but why let it fill you with hate. This site is supposed to be against hate or so I thought. Let he who is without sin keep throwing the stones.

Oy Vey! I am so ferklempt for my dear Melmeister!
He messed up in what he thought was (privately) and turned out to be very publicly? He now has been tried and convicted in the court of public opinion without the benefit of representation or a jury of his peers (are we not all sinners and harbor unjustifiable prejudices that we keep in the stillness of our own heart Ôø? and sometimes under duress express the same?)
So what does the Mel man do? He Publicly APOLOGIGIZES! Unlike some very notable public people who used epithets as vile against Jews and made no visible attempts at apology, Mel Gibson Apologizes!?

Oy Vey! I am so ferklempt for my dear Melmeister!
He messed up in what he thought was (privately) and turned out to be very publicly? He now has been tried and convicted in the court of public opinion without the benefit of representation or a jury of his peers (are we not all sinners and harbor unjustifiable prejudices that we keep in the stillness of our own heart Ôø? and sometimes under duress express the same?)
So what does the Mel man do? He Publicly APOLOGIGIZES! Unlike some very notable public people who used epithets as vile against Jews and made no visible attempts at apology, Mel Gibson Apologizes!?

Warhorse;you have a reading comprehension problem.I wrote the “kick his ass” quote-and I’m not a rabbi.I cited an excellent book about Jesus,which Rabbi Joseph Telushkin cited in his ‘Jewish Literacy’ titled ‘Revolution in Judaea’ by Hyam Maccoby.And,it ain’t just a matter of apologizing;he didn’t make his comments to dis Chew,who lives roughly 2000 miles from the scene-and I would reject his apology,anyway.There is a story-involving only Jews and forgiveness(I think in Rabbi Telushkin’s book Biblical Literacy).The story is about a man sitting alone on a train,studying a religious book-and interrupted by a travelling salesman,who excuses himself from a card game,to announce,that if he(the lone passenger)doesn’t join the game,he can’t remain in the car;the man spends the rest of the trip outside the boxcar.When they arrive at the destination,the man is welcomed as ‘the great Rebbe of Brisk(Poland).The salesman who told the rabbi to leave the train,tries to pressure everybody to get the rabbi to accept his apology-but nobody can budge the rabbi.Finally,the wannabe apologizer goes to see the rabbi-who refuses.The Rebbe of Brisk tells him that if he knew who he was talking to,he wouldn’t have done it-so the apology would just be to another “religiously dressed shnook just off the boat”(not his words).

KOAJaps: My view of Atheism: The definition of Atheism is the “belief that there are no gods or God.” In order to know there isn’t a God or god’s you’d have to be all knowing, which you nor I nor anyone else on this planet possess this ability.
Posted by: bpentium [TypeKey Profile Page] at August 1, 2006 02:57 PM
I choose not to follow but to insult someone of the Jewish faith is not right.

Do you people really read and understand some of the comments you post here. I in no way defend or condone Mel’s actions but the hate and vile you are spewing is not really much different than the actions you are comdemning. Especially to see a Rabbi wanting to kick his ass (man of God)? He apologized. Either accept it or don’t but why let it fill you with hate. This site is supposed to be against hate or so I thought. Let he who is without sin keep throwing the stones.
Posted by: warhorse [TypeKey Profile Page] at August 1, 2006 08:33 PM
But it’s fun

Look, Warhorse, it is fairly obvious, is it not? than Mel only apologized because he began to see that his behavior and comments had placed his career in great jeopardy. He is trying to save himself, that is all. He was caught with his true colors showing, and he is embarrassed.
I have been drunk many times in my life (though, thankfully, not in recent years cause I hate to throw up) and I’ve said some silly things, I’m sure, but I have never said hateful, vile things about an entire group of people. Alcohol lowers inhibitions and removes speech filters, both of which enable the true essence of a person to emerge. We know who Mel really is now, and that is not something that he can apologize for. In fact, I’m irritated by his big theatrical display regarding his meeting with Jewish leaders to ask what he can do to rectify the situation. Oh please! GAG! How about making a dignified apology and then GOING AWAY QUIETLY to work on himself and his character.
You know, here’s another thing, and I don’t know if I can articulate it very well or if it will even make sense to some readers. But if Mel had said something like, “I’m sick of Hollywood Jews controlling my contracts,” I’d actually nod and say, okay Mel, I guess you aren’t getting along too well with Hollywood execs and you are frustrated with them. It may not be a very nice thing to say, it may even be bigoted, but one could at least understand that personal experience with Jewish Hollywood execs had driven Mel to feel such things. But to say “Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world,” is so unspeakably unforgiveable in light of all the torture, murder, humiliation, expulsion and attempts at annhilation that our people HAVE ENDURED and CONTINUE TO ENDURE TODAY.
What a Nazi schmuck. I really do hope he is ruined.

AmericanJewess,
I’m curious. Do you wish the same of Hillary Clinton?
I’m not Jewish, but some of the best people I’ve known are.
I don’t get the anti-Semitism thing at all, sorry. It’s not right and I’ve almost never heard it. Maybe I’m just not close to the wrong sort of people. Anyway, whatever is lacking in my life is really my fault, not the Jews, Arabs, Chinese or Martians.
I’m inclined to forgive Mel. It’s such an ignorant thing to say that my reaction is one of pity. How can a guy with such talent be so small?